For a little over a week now I've been experimenting with a new (to me) home teeth whitening method. Having white teeth is something that ranks highly to me in my 'self-care' routine. There is nothing more daunting than taking photos and seeing stained, yellow teeth. As an avid coffee and tea drinker plus my love of snacking on berries, my smile easily dulls. I've tried store bought items and at home DIYs but they were never a match. The home DIY (that old baking soda/lemon juice concoction) was gross, messy, and burned my gums so bad I could barely use it once a week. I always found myself falling back into the store bought, way overpriced, whitestrips that didn't provide the full results I was looking for while also making my teeth and gums extremely sensitive. Other than the sensitivity issues, I really wasn't a fan of the "one size fits all" mentality of a whitestrip. My teeth aren't cookie cutter shaped, no ones really are unless you have veneers, so it always missed the ends. Want to know whats worse than a yellow smile? A half bleached smile with random stains. You're probably thinking with all this trial and error why not just go to the dentist and have it done professionally, get it over with. To be honest I've thought about it but that is a lot of money to shell out for a one time show and it's not like the results are permanent. Plus my schedule is crazy I don't have time to sit there when I have a million other things on my to do list. My dentist does offer a take home option that supplies you with roughly a week or so worth of whitening but I'm pretty sure thats only available to Invisalign/orthodontia patients because it requires you to have those little plastic retainers and it's still a pretty penny or two.
Now that we got my whitening rant and history over with on to my first impression of Smile Brilliant an at-home, professional grade whitening system. The first thing I love about this company is they recognize that not everyone's teeth are equal. The second thing is they offer a money back guarantee is you're not satisfied with your results, but so far I don't see how you won't be. Smile Brilliant is created by dental professionals and backed by research. They're whitening system gives you the same custom fitted trays and high quality whitening gel that you'd get at a trip to the office but you can do it in the convenience of your home. I can just pop in my trays and finish my chores, play with my pup, or catch up on my TV programs. I'm going to skip the how-to details because you can find them on their site. I want to talk to you about my experience thus far. Like I mentioned I've been using the Smile Brilliant teeth whitening kit for a little over a week now (about 6 applications total) and have only went through a syringe and a quarter of the whitening gel and the desensitizing gel. I'd say in general my teeth are average when it comes to whiteness. I have some staining especially near the gum line that other whitening products were never able to reach. After using the system I've started to notice quite a few changes... which is shocking to me because I am horrible when it comes to remembering to do something daily. Guilty of skipping a day or two!
The system is completely custom from the trays to the gels. You take an impression (those gooey teeth molds) and they send you back trays that are fitted to your teeth to ensure you whiten every nook and cranny, including the back! Can a whitestrip do that? No, no it can't! I've had a ton of sensitivity issues with other methods and my teeth really aren't sensitive on their own. I can honestly say I haven't had one issue with sensitivity while using this system; I can probably thank the desensitizing gel included for that. I appreciate this more than you know because I love ice cold water and hot coffee or tea. My teeth are noticeably whiter after just a few uses. I love that this product actually gets my whole tooth! No more half bleached smiles.
Let's get down to the decision making factor for most of us, money. The most expensive whitening kit offered is a fraction of the cost of the dental office whitening option. Average dentist price for what would be included in that kit is a $715+ value, with Smile Brilliant you'd pay just $159, over five hundred dollars saved — and that's the most expensive kit, they have a ton of other options plus kit refills. Those whitestrips? The ones that do the half-ass job retail for $45 (for the one's that state they're professional level) for only fourteen applications. Two weeks with just all right results and sensitivity for what? A $2 difference in price per application. You just can't beat custom teeth whitening, especially when you can do it at home! I am no where near done with my current teeth whitening kit, I am so excited to see just how gorgeous my smile can get. When you look good, you feel good. The best thing you can do for yourself is take care of yourself.

My canine teeth are one of my biggest "problem areas" when it comes to whitening. This photo does me way more justice than I deserve—because my teeth aren't cookie cutter shaped and a little on the longer side I'm always left with a yellow hue near my gum line.

GIVEAWAY! Smile Brilliant was kind enough to offer my readers a discount code as well as gift one of YOU their whitening system. To enter the giveaway click here, fill out the form and click submit! For 5% off any purchase on the Smile Brilliant website use code: katelynmasek5. This giveaway will last two week so enter now before it's too late!





Thank you Smile Brilliant for sponsoring and collaborating with me on this post. Some links may be affiliate links. All opinions stated are my own and only influenced by my personal experiences.

Teeth Whitening